O-1?

cmott69

cmott69

Joined
Sep 11, 2004
Messages
237
I can't find 5160 in the sizes I want would O-1 be a suitable steel for a big chopper? :confused:


O.K. still :confused:

opinions please; best steel for big camp knives, will be used for chopping, digging, and various other chores not desgined for a knife.

will be a thick (3/16 to 1/4) blade and approximately 16in. over all, semi flat or graduated convex edge.
 
O1 is a lot tougher than people give it credit for, but I'd still pick a different steel for a really tough knife. L6 comes to mind immediately.
 
S7 has proven itself in my book, so there's another option for you. I think it's pretty much PG standard, so there's a plus.

Darryl
 
For what it's worth I've been using O1 pretty much exclusively. I had a blade whose grinding I just could not salvage to actually allow out of my shop, so I went ahead and HTed it as a test blade. I tried like hell to break that thing and chip the edge, and I just couldn't do it. I suppose had I taken a four pound hammer to it in a vise I could have broken it but under all the backyard stress I could put it through I was not able to do any serious damage. It was 3/16" stock, a regular 6" or so blade; the edge was maybe a little thicker than a fully finished knife would be. Based on tempering temp (I don't have any way to actually test the hardness of my blades) the hardness would have been around 59-60.

I'm looking forward to having an oven to start using some of these super steels! :D
 
Use it - I love the stuff! Some of the other steels may be a little tougher but if you keep the edge around .020 then put the edge on it you should be fine.
 
I use O1 often for choppers. They do very well with it. S7 is about as tough as you'll find. If its to be a heavy duty chopper and that is its purpose, S7 is my vote for you. Expect about 57 HRc at most.

RL
 
While it can be done with O1, I'd vote for 5160. It can take a variety of heat-treatments with provide all kinds of tough. S5 and 4340-mod./300M are good over-the-top choices, too. S5 is like S7, but with a lot of silicon (which, for some nutball reason, makes steel tougher). Try seeing if Randal Graham might be able to help you with the heat-treat if you go with 5160.
 
ddavelarsen said:
I tried like hell to break that thing and chip the edge, and I just couldn't do it.
Click to expand...
I agree, I was trying the same thing with a piece of scrap, I took a hammer to it in a vise and it took quite a beating (from the sides!) before the smallest point broke off. I was using 3/16".
It blows my mind how so many blades end up snapped off in a log or in the ground, yet this piece took so much abuse. ;)
Steve
 
If you're gonna go with 1/4", I'd say 5160. It a good beatable steel. I've taken the one I have and beat the crap out of it in the woods. That sold me on 5160. Any other sizes, go with the other suggestions. I just started working with O1 and I'm going to work up a large chopper with it. This may be a dumb question but is S7 oil hardening? If so toolanddie.com has some. May have to try it.
Scott
 
Scott,
I believe that S-7 is air hardening. I think Loveless experimented with S-7 early on.

Tom
 
Tom Krein said:
Scott,
I believe that S-7 is air hardening. I think Loveless experimented with S-7 early on.

Tom
Click to expand...
Thanks Tom. ;) I still may try it. So many steels out there.
Scott
 
I think it was Higgy a while back who either had or solicited the HT specs for S7. I have a big chunk of it too, just waiting for my oven to get here to give it a try... :D Meanwhile maybe we'll get the specs for it? If someone here doesn't ask first I'll follow up on that in a couple of weeks.
 
thanks for all of the input.

What is working S-7 like, is it a stainless :barf: , and where can I find it?

keep in mind I'm only set up for stock removal or I would beat a blade out of 5160( or try to anyway).
 
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